ANYONE WHO WISHES TO CONTACT ME;
my email is in the copyyright link at the bottom of the page
ALSO, ANY NAME, PLACE, PRICE OR FACT I GET WRONG I TAKE FULL
RESPONSIBILITY FOR. IT'S ALL WRITTEN FROM MEMORY.
MY NAME IS RICHARD LINDLEY, I'M 42, AND HAVE BEEN LIVING AND
WORKING IN BOSTON AS A GENERAL CONTRACTOR FOR THE LAST
SIX YEARS DOING MOSTLY RESIDENTIAL RENOVATION AND
REMODELING
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HEADINGFOR CLARIFICATION, THE START OF MY TRIP BEGINS WITH THE SECTION ENTITLED
'LET'S START AT THE BEGINNING'
IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY READ THE 1ST INSTALLMENT JUST SCROLL
DOWN TIL YOU COME TO THE 'LET'S START AT THE BEGINNING'
HEADING
THIS IS THE 2ND INSTALLMENT
Joanne drops me at the airport and I leave the States for South Korea.
Uneventful flight, arrive at Incheon (Seoul Airport) with little idea of how to even find the bike, clear customs and transport it to Sokcho...300 miles away where the Dong Chun Ferry provides service to Zarubina, Russia.
Off the ferry into a bustling, very hot customs hall filled with Koreans and some Russians.
The customs doors open and the Russian officials start processing people through at about one every 20 minutes.
I'm spotted by a sharp eyed official who brings me to the front of the queue. I suspect that this was a little side business for the officials but for a few dollars more I was glad to be out of the broiling crowd.Off the ferry into a bustling, very hot customs hall filled with Koreans and some Russians.
I was still waiting for my Russian visa and my time slot at the Triumph dealership.
Tim Whitting at Schenker of Vancouver proved to be my main man for shipping the bike.
Another very helpful Tim!
Tim arranged shipping to Korea for about $1400.00 usd
The road from Slavyanka to Vladivostok was good for the most part. This picture above is very typical of all Russian roads west of Ulan Ude. There is obviously going to be a very swank highway one day, as most of these sites were active with workers and heavy machinery but it's at least ten years off.
Passing traffic was easy for motorcycles but as you can see, cars were also using this sizeable dirty hard shoulder.
Beautiful paved road from Vladivostok to Kharbarovsk.
Weather was beautiful, as was the countryside...this Russian Far Eastern stuff was a breeze!!!
Roadside stands selling locally grown produce. This is the only way for a lot of Russians to make a living. A lot of the stands were selling honey. This shot's for my fellow beekeeper back in Boston....Hi Jayne!!!
Igor was showing us the way out of the city in his car when the unexpected happened!!!
Following him closely in the heavy traffic, he suddenly jammed on his brakes with no warning as the car in front of him had braked sharply, with no reason.
Igor was centimetres away from hitting the car infront, Whereas we, two up on the heavily laden Tiger, weren't so lucky; smashing into the back of Igor's Suburu hard for what the Russians call 'a kiss'.
Good roads for the first hundred miles to Birobidzhan.
Birobidzhan was the last city on the Russian roadsign where we left Igor, if you want to check your ability to read Russian. The funny double sided C creates the sound zjjjjjj as in Birobidzhan.
Here's Nikolai's stemming the flow of blood from his hand. He's also bootless as he had to surrender his boots when he was pinned under the bike.
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Close up of some of Nikolai's road rash. It was his index fingernail that took the worst hit.
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He was fixed up for free at the clinic. Yes, that's right...free health care...what a concept!
The sun beat down on gravelled ground
On and on we rode
Through makeshift lenses viewed the land
and cautiously we trod...
After five days on the road, a little R&R at the Hotel Turist was just what the doctor ordered.
Next morning, Nikolai and I went off to explore Chita.
The city has a strong military presence
and history
pretty churches...
Riding solo on OK roads I was able to make good time.
As dusk approaches - automatically start scanning for secure, convenient camp site.
It looks good as I sneak behind a hedge just feet from the busy road
'stealth camping'
The weather was closing in. My visa problems at the hotel in Krasnoyarsk, made me concerned about my date with the russian border guards.
Without my merino thermals, I was already numb with cold.
God bless these roadside cafes and the cute waitstaff.
One of the great things travelling alone by motorcycle...you simply flag down any biker and a world of generousity and hospitality will open to you
Sacha pulls up on his CBR and the biker network starts to hum.
Moscow traffic (and Sacha's riding through it) are scary.
